COVID-19 Update January 2

COVID-19 Update January 2, 2021 – Incomplete update

  • Total: 1,453 confirmed cases in Salem as of 12/31
  • Salem’s Positivity Rate for the past 2 weeks: 8.1% as of 12/31
  • 1 out of 21 Salem residents have been infected as of 12/31
  • Salem today: 17 new cases on Dec 31; 167 active cases on 12/31

DHHS did not update the dashboards, including the town info, so this is an incomplete update. Here’s what we do know:

• • • • • • Report from NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) • • • • • • 

On Saturday, January 2, 2021, DHHS announced 1,178 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a current PCR test positivity rate of 9.3%. Today’s results include 790 people who tested positive by PCR test and 388 who tested positive by antigen test. There are now 6,468 current COVID-19 cases diagnosed in New Hampshire. Of the results reported today: 

  • 12/27: 28 new cases today, for an updated total of 607 cases 
  • 12/28: 32 new case today, for an updated total of 591 cases 
  • 12/29: 28 new cases today, for an updated total of 843 cases 
  • 12/30: 712 new cases today, for an updated total of 886 cases 
  • 12/31: 378 new cases 

Test results for previous days are still being processed and the total number of new positives for those days are not yet complete. Updated case counts for prior days will be reflected on the COVID-19 interactive dashboard. 

• • • • • • Community Transmission • • • • • •

DHHS has not updated the transmission data since December 31.

• • • • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT • • • • • •

  • Since DHHS didn’t update the dashboards, we have no updated info about Salem.
  • Note that in the announcement from DHHS (above) that the newest data is December 31, so we have no numbers from yesterday or today.
  • The positivity rate for the PCR test results reported today is 9.3%, the same as what we had on 12/28, which was a new record.
  • We added considerably more new cases today (1,178 per DHHS) than were reported as recovered. (597), so the number of active cases went to 6,468, with an increase of 549 in two days.
  • 910 people have been hospitalized since the beginning of the pandemic, an increase of 8 new people. However, DHHS is reporting an increase of 18 patients currently hospitalized.
  • From December 2 to January 2, the number of total hospitalizations in NH went up by 68, but the number of patients currently hospitalized went up by 173 patients.
  • Today there are 335 people currently hospitalized, a new high.
  • Another 10 people died from COVID-19 in the 24-hour period covered by this report. NH has lost 61 people in the past week.

• • • • • • Communities • • • • • •

  • NH DHHS says that the new cases reside in Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (234), Rockingham (212), Strafford (131), Merrimack (115), Cheshire (56), Grafton (50), Belknap (47), Coos (32), Sullivan (21), and Carroll (16) counties, and in the cities of Nashua (121) and Manchester (101). The county of residence is being determined for forty-two new cases. 
  • Active Cases and Cumulative Cases: DHHS has not updated is information since December 31.

• • • • • • DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN NH • • • • • •

  • New positive cases by my math (Total of today’s cases minus previous total): 1,156
  • New positive cases per DHHS: 1,178
    • 790 PCR tests
    • 388 Antigen tests
  • Children under 18 in new cases: 150
  • Total positive cases in NH: 45,184
  • Percentage of today’s tests that are positive per DHHS: 9.3%
  • Total PCR test results reported today (Positive results plus negative results):4,380
  • The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 1,932
  • New negative results reported today: 3,224
  • Total negative cases in NH: 471,482

• • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • • • • 

  • Total cases in Rockingham County: 11,130
  • New cases in Rockingham County: 212
  • Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 68.4
  • Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 61.1
  • Rockingham County Positivity Rate: 8.0% on 12/31
  • Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.8% on 12/31
  • Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 65% on 12/31

• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •

  • Active cases in NH: 6,468
  • Active cases in Rockingham County: 1,356 on 12/31
  • Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 22.9% on 12/31

• • • • • OTHER TEST RESULTS • • • • • • 

  • New antibody tests: 128
  • Total antibody tests (No break downs of positive vs. negative): 34,799
  • The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 43

• • • • • • CHANGES BY AGES • • • • • •  
(Shown: Total infections, percentage of all infections, and increase since yesterday.)

DHHS did not update this info This is where were were 12/31:

  • 0-9: 1849 = 4% (+43).
  • 10-19: 4302 = 10% (+90).
  • 20-29: 8317 = 19% (+120).
  • 30-39: 6552 = 15% (+131).
  • 40-49: 5966 = 14% (+131). This age group had been 13% of all cases until today.
  • 50-59: 7077 = 16% (+107). 
  • 60-69: 4813 = 11% (+76).
  • 70-79: 2589 = 6% (+41).
  • 80+: 2510 = 6% (+39).
  • Unknown: 53 = 0% (+8).

• • • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Announced today: 597
  • Total Recovered: 37,947
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 84.0% 

• • • • • • HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • New people hospitalized from NH: 8
  • Currently hospitalized: 335
  • Total hospitalized patients: 910
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 2.01%
  • Total admitted to ICU: 300 as of 12/31
  • New hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 1 as of 12/31
  • Total hospitalized patients from Rockingham County: 211 as of 12/31

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Lives lost today: 10
  • Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 10
  • Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 769
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 1.70%
  • Lives lost in Rockingham County today: 1
  • Total lives lost in Rockingham County: 142

These are not simply numbers. We must not forget that these are all someone’s husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother, son or daughter, friend or neighbor.


“What screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of what it’s supposed to be.”

― Jeremy Binns

Hello, Salem!

How are you doing? Post-holiday winter blues are normal this time of year, in non-COVID-19 times. If you are feeling blue, or are struggling with feelings of isolation or depression, don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

Try to stay positive, but if you are feeling blue, or are struggling with feelings of isolation or depression, don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

  • NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Health. 24-hour hotline: 1-800-950-6264. https://www.nami.org/Home
  • Center for Life Management (603) 434-1577, Option 1. https://www.centerforlifemanagement.org/
  • #SuicideAwareness: 1-800-273-8255.

But don’t forget to watch out for others, too. Are your friends and family doing ok? Don’t presume … ask them. 

Stay safe, and always, be kind. 

~Bonnie







Compiled by Bonnie Wright, based on data obtained from NH DHHS.


The following video was posted almost two months ago. Things have changed in that time. On October 2, US deaths were 1,035,451, according to the video. (My records say 1,033,174 per WorldOmeter.) WorldOMeter now says the global death rate is 1,446,889, an increase of 413,715 in less than two months. Just please remember that there is a lot more between COVID->Death vs. COVID->Recovery. More and more, long-haulers are making the news, as are other consequences of COVID-19.



This screenshot comes from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6942e2.htm?s_cid=mm6942e2_w

This report is explained here:
https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2020/10/20/cdc-from-january-to-october-us-had-299k-more-deaths-than-in-previous-years/


Useful links


Sources used to create these reports:

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